PESHAWAR: The higher education department has extended four-year Bachelor of Studies (BS) programme to all government colleges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide better education to students at nominal fee at graduation level.

Officials in higher education department told Dawn that so far BS programme was implemented in 123 of 323 government colleges across the province. “Now all the remaining colleges will introduce BS programme in larger interest of students,” they added.

The public sector universities in the province charge from Rs30,000 to Rs60,000 for each semester from students while government colleges for their courses charge only Rs6,000, which is a big difference.

Mansoor Ahmed, a resident of Upper Chitral, lauded the decision of higher education department about extending the BS programme to colleges in his area. He said that the decision would benefit those poor students, who could not afford high fee of universities and stay in hostels away from their homes.

The decision will benefit poor students, who can’t afford university fee

“With the extension of BS programme, now the students will be able to continue graduation level studies near their towns,” he said.

The decision of introducing BS programme in all colleges has abolished the two-year Associate Degree programme, which was offered by those colleges where the new programme was not implemented.

“The competent authority is pleased to allow extension/conversion of ongoing associate degree programme offered in government colleges (general and commerce) into BS programme. Consequently, fresh admission in associate degree programmes offered in colleges of higher education shall cease with immediate effect,” says a notification issued by higher education department.

It says that the students already enrolled in the associate degree programme shall continue their studies till completion of their degrees.

The notification says that the principals of government colleges offering associate degree programmes shall approach their respective directorates (directorate of higher education and directorate general of commerce education and management sciences) for grant of sanction for opening of market-oriented BS programmes from the current session, enabling the potential aspirants of higher education to get degrees at par with international standards.

Arshad Khan, the secretary of higher education department, told Dawn that the associate degree programme was replaced with the BS programme because holders of the former degrees had minimum chances to continue their higher education.

He said that there were a few seats for associate degree holders in the each BS programme of the respective colleges.

To a question about the need of more teachers in colleges after enforcement of BS programme, the secretary said that higher education department had the authority to recruit ad hoc teachers as soon as possible till the appointment of regular teachers by Public Service Commission.

An official of higher education department told Dawn that BS programme was implemented couple of years ago in the government colleges located in the urban areas of different districts in the province. Colleges in rural areas used to offer associate degree programme, which was considered equal to BA/BSc.

The number of colleges with BS mandate increased gradually and currently stood at 123, he said. “The associate degree programme has multiple issues mainly its recognition equal to BA/BSc because no such rules or law is framed to bring at par with BA/BSc. Similarly, the courses designed or offered in associate degree programmes are also not properly defined,” he added.

The official said that graduates of associate degrees also faced problems in getting jobs as they were vaguely introduced as students of arts or science without specifying subjects of their course.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2023